Bangladeshi authorities arrested key leader of Islamist group

Authorities in Bangladesh have arrested Khaled Saifullah, a leader of the controversial Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam, responsible for the violent protests across Bangladesh during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Saifullah, who is a joint general secretary of the group, was arrested on Thursday from Dhaka’s Motijheel area, ANM Imran Khan, the spokesperson of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a paramilitary force, was quoted as saying by bdnews24.

The government will take legal action against all those responsible for violence, he added.

Soon after the violence ended, the Bangladesh government started cracking down on the group. So far, five senior leaders have been arrested by law enforcement authorities in the country.

The violence that raged for around four days had killed over 12 people in the country. Large-scale destruction of public and private properties had also been reported.

The Islamist group was opposing the government’s decision to invite Modi, whom they accuse of being anti-Muslim, to the golden jubilee celebration of the country’s independence.

The government had to deploy paramilitary forces, including the Border Guards of Bangladesh, in the capital to contain the violence unleashed by the group.

Source: India Blooms